In the Name of Love
by Mimori Kiryu
Summary: Ai, the spirit of Cupid, has gone about her Immortal life without ever questioning anything. But when Pitch begins to filter back into the world through the people affected by her love, will Ai learn more about her mortal life then she ever wanted to know? Who will save her when she loses who she really is?


_A/N: Welcome to my ROTG story. It's an OC story with canon characters, so if there's something you don't like about that, then I guess you don't have to read. I appreciate any and all feedback. _

_Disclaimer: Rise of the Guardians (c) William Joyce, Dreamworks Animation | Ai (Cupid) (c) Mimori Kiryu  
_

* * *

_I can't take this anymore._

_Ever since that day 400 years ago,_

_I've been living in the shadows._

_No one sees me._

_No one hears me._

_But I know they feel me._

_I know they see what I can do. _

_All of those preteen boys and girls,_

_Falling in love and having crushes on one another…_

_Remembering everyone's little favorite things…_

_That's me!_

_It's only because of me that you remember those things!_

_Then how come no one can see me?_

_How come no one believes in me?_

* * *

"You know, Mariah… I do like you, but I just don't know…"

"Kyle you can't bail on me now. Aren't we going to the dance together?"

Standing on the corner of a small town street, a boy and girl, only about thirteen years old, discussed their future in school, along with their emotions. Just next to them stood another girl who looked much older. She had long black hair and wore a red long sleeve shirt with blue jeans. It was obvious they did not see her as she was standing right in between them. People walked right behind her and did not see her beautiful graceful wings which were tight against her back.

"Oh geez Kyle…" said the girl, her amethyst eyes looking at the boy's tanned skin and bright. "Your brain is such a jumble of mixed emotions but you do love this cute little girl…" She touched his face gently; her red fingernails tracing the line of his jaw. "Let me clear your mind for you…"

She moved her hand from his chin to his head, barely tapping the side of his head. His eyes went from fuzzed and confused, to clear and bright, as if she made his feelings more apparent. Mariah saw the change in his face and walked closer to him. The angel looking woman flew away, watching the two young kids hug on the street corner as it began to snow.

She landed gracefully on a nearby wooden fence. Sometimes she wondered about why she was here on this Earth, doing this for kids and adults alike, but it always made her feel warm inside when they realized it was okay for them to feel happy and in love with someone.

_Oh Ai…_ she thought to herself. _You're too sentimental._ _Love is just a feeling mere mortals have. Same with happiness and joy and wonder…_ Ai let her inner voice trail off as she watched the town center.

It was nearly December and the town hub was bustling with shoppers of all ages, hurrying to buy gifts for their loved ones. Ai remembered back on Christmases before and shook her head at how much the holiday had grown within the last several hundred years. It had gone from a simple gathering of families to a gift giving extravaganza. Ai's job was very important this time of year. The ability to clear one's thoughts of all troublesome, worrying feelings about love. Ai tried to not think about when she first experienced her ability but it was hard not to reflect during the winter since that was when she had died and been reborn with her power. The Man in the Moon chose her for a reason, but he had failed to explain it to her. Sometimes Ai held that against him.

Suddenly the angel was distracted by shouting in the distance. Just by the voices, she could tell it was two adults. Parents. Probably in their mid to late 30s, at the least. Ai jumped from the fence, letting her wings feel the wind. She dodged through traffic on the nearby road with ease as she made her way to the source of the trouble. The girl stopped at a blue tinted, two-story house. She could clearly see the humans arguing. Flying closer to the window in the front, she got a better look, however there wasn't anything she could do. The house was sealed shut and Ai couldn't go through walls. Not to mention her powers worked through touch only.

Ai focused her sight and hearing on the woman. With enough focus, she could hear the woman's thoughts.

_Never home…kids sad…bills not paid…_ Ai said to herself as she heard them from the woman. She didn't move anything on her body but her eyes as she glanced over to the woman's husband. _ Freedom…be alone… only money maker…provide for the kids…_

The woman slapped the man across the face before rushing out of the door, tears streaming down her face. This was Ai's chance. In one fell swoop, Ai dove into the doorway, barely touching the woman's head and then turned quickly, touching the man's temple gently. Time froze for the two humans as she worked her magic through the mind.

_Not everyone can understand your problems. Not everyone will be able to not make mistakes. Mistakes are human nature. To be able to accept someone besides that and work together for your common goals is true happiness. The children are in need of your clear minds and hearts._

Time resumed in the world of the humans and the woman didn't run very far. The man shook his head; his thoughts were clearing and his doubts vanished.

"Grace, wait!" he called out, running to the door. "I'm sorry, honey! Please don't run away. I know that I've been spending some time alone, probably more than I should, but all of the work I do is for you and our kids. It's always been for you."

Grace turned to face her husband. Ai could see the foggy look in her eyes was gone. She sighed happily. Her magic worked on both of them.

"Mike… I know. I'm just so frustrated by the workload here at home that I didn't even think about what you're going through at the office…" Grace wrapped her arms around herself before looking up to him with fresh tears in her eyes. "Oh Mike, I'm so sorry!" she called before running back to him, flinging herself into his open arms.

Ai smiled, walking slowly behind the now collapsed couple as they began to profusely apologize to each other, hugging and kissing as they did so. Ai wiped her brow as she flew away. She was lucky to have caught this argument when she had. If she hadn't, these adults would've been out of luck. Her powers of clearing the mind didn't work as simply on adults as it did on teens and young adults. Their minds were simpler and understood much less.

The angel took her leave, flying away gently on the wind which began to blow. She watched the two humans hold to each other as they went back inside. After she knew they were safely inside, Ai took to the sky flying back to the town's center. Her little side excursion had caused her an hour of time and now early evening had settled in, causing the town's center to be even busier than before.

"Wow…that was pretty awesome back there." a male voice spoke up. Ai whipped around, losing her balance from the top of an olden rooster shaped wind compass. "I didn't know you could help adults too." Ai regained her composure in mid air, turning around to see a familiar face.

"Oh Jack, you scared the shit out of me. Don't sneak up on me like that." Ai said as she stared at the boy of winter behind her.

The mischievous Guardian grinned wide at her, a grin Toothiana would be proud of. He called the wind with his staff and launched himself into the air, stopped just at Ai's face. Jack held his staff under his arm as he put his hands into his blue, iced hoodie. Ai felt her face grow hot with him so close.

"Back off, Frost!" Ai said, whipping her leg around to kick him. She, of course, missed by only a hair as the boy dodged her gracefully. "You know I need my personal space."

Jack held his hands up defensively. "Hey, I was just trying to pay you a complement. I guess I won't next time. But seriously, I didn't know your powers worked on adult humans."

Ai shoved her hands into her pockets. "Yeah, I've been able to since about two hundred something years ago. I've gotten better over time though. At first I wasn't able to help adults at all. They wouldn't listen when I talked to them." She flew closer to the ground. Jack followed her. "They didn't believe the thoughts I would show them."

Jack nodded next to her. "I see."

Ai looked over at the boy of winter, realizing even though she had known him for quite some time, she hadn't ever actually talked to him about anything.

"If you don't mind me asking Jack…" Ai started to say as Jack looked over to her. She met eyes with him and suddenly became nervous with her question. It was personal. "Never mind."

Jack sighed. "You've made me curious; you have to tell me now." The airy, friendly sound of his voice assured her that she could talk to him.

"…when were you first seen by someone?" Ai mumbled as the two landed in an open field south of the town. It was abandoned as there weren't even any footprints in the light dusting of snow.

Jack laughed, breaking the several, second silence after Ai's question. Ai frowned at Jack. "No, no… I'm only laughing because you were so nervous to ask me. The answer is simple. It only happened about a year ago, around this time."

Ai's lavender eyes widened in disbelief. "Really? Only a year?"

"Well Jack Frost really isn't a house hold name like the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus, ya know." Jack pointed out. Ai shrugged but nodded at the same time. "Actually…it might be easier if I just show you. Come on!"

Suddenly Jack grabbed Ai's hand, pulling her into the air. The two of them flew straight up, past the clouds and into the clear mid evening sky. The stars began to appear as the two of them flew over towns as they headed south. A couple of hours passed as Ai followed Jack and he finally stopped flying straight and began to glide gently down back towards Earth. Trees came into view first and then the lights of the city since darkness had descended on the land. Jack flew effortlessly on the wind through the neighborhood and Ai pushed her wings hard to keep up with him.

"Jack! Are we almost there? My wings can't fly me forever!" Ai called out to him. Jack slowed his pace to where he was next to her.

"Yeah, just another block or so. Sorry, I'm not used to having someone with me." Jack apologized.

The white haired boy kept to his promise as the two of them came upon a simple house. It was very similar to the house of the bickering lovers Ai had dealt with earlier. Jack led her to the window on the side to see a boy sleeping in his bed happily.

"That boy there is named Jamie. He was my very first believer, along with his younger sister, Sophie, and his neighborhood friends around this area." Jack explained to her. "I'm sure you've heard when Pitch returned a year ago, right?" He waited for Ai to nod.

She did quickly. Ai had been on the other side of the globe, but his dark touch had made it so far. Ai remembered how hard it had been to help people during that time.

"This boy was one of the few humans responsible for locking him up in his own fear." Jack said. Ai watch his eyes go from her to the boy in the window. His look was so gentle and caring; it was easy to tell how much he cared for the human boy in the bed. "We haven't heard a peep from Pitch since and according to North, he's gone for good. He doesn't have any believers anymore."

Ai nodded before backing up from the window. She flew up to the nearby tree just outside the perimeter of the house. Jack followed her, sitting down next to her on the branch.

"Why did you ask me about believers, Ai?" Jack questioned after about ten minutes of silence.

Ai stared at the ground, kicking her legs as they hung from the tree. "I was curious. You know, I don't have any so I wondered what it was like to be believed in." she sighed. "I also just kind of wanted to talk to someone."

She hated when she showed her weak side but it was true. Within the past couple of years, a time of loneliness had kicked in. She didn't see the Guardians often and even when she saw them, she was afraid to talk to them. Ai didn't want to be in their way and she didn't want them to see her as a bothersome, pestering Immortal. Ai sighed, pushing herself off of the branch, taking flight into the sky without giving Jack a chance to reply back. Her long, black hair blew wildly in the wind and it allowed Ai's mind to be cleared. The racing of the wind near her ears blocked out any sound which might be around her. She turned to see Jack who was now standing on that same branch with his staff at his side. Ai mouthed 'I'm sorry' to the Guardian of Fun but it was time she needed to be alone.

Ai hated thinking about the fact she wasn't believed in.

Because it made her think about her own mortal life.

And the last time she saw her family.

The night they were massacred.


End file.
